What Grandpas Do Best
He sat watching all solid like as the video played on. It was retirement day. It was the last day at the plant where not only had he worked, but members of his family who now have a family of their own learned many a life lesson. Little eyes are always watching and out came the proof on the recording.
“Congratulations on your retirement grandpa!” said one and then another and another. All were not even sure what that word meant nor if they had pronounced it correctly. What they were sure of was what they wanted to thank grandpa for—not to mention the plans they had for him once he no longer had work on his radar. What exactly were the little ones thankful for and what were they hoping the outcome of his retirement would be? Read on.
“Thank you, grandpa for pushing me in the swing,” said one.
“Thank you for taking good care of mommy, grandpa,” said another.
“Thank you for playing with me!”
“The next time I come, I think we should go fishing and go see the cows.”
“On your ‘tirement,’you should take me on the tractor!”
“We can go fishing and see the cows and come to your house and have fun and I love you.”
As the video scrolled on, little voices spoke giving witness to time well spent with grandpa. Hearts were impacted by his presence and perhaps it’s that simple—lest we forget. Love poured into each had been received. What had been embedded deeply was time on the swing, time on the tractor, and time taken to go see the cows. And when you add it all up—it’s the time that was spent with each that filled hearts.
Time spent had been in the sandbox, on a walk, breaking of bread, or time spent in prayer. Time spent with grandpa meant playing trucks on the floor, the teaching of a new board game, or the playing of an old favorite. It was anything where the investment of time had taken place. This investment will work its way into the generations who are yet to come—most of whom we will never know.
This is how it works. Someone spent time with grandpa and thus, grandpa knows how to spend time with others. The generational investment for a lifetime can all be traced back to One, our Father. He not only took time to create us, but went on to lay His life down for us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. Within us are the very desires to do likewise as He poured out His Holy Spirit so that we might love as the Father has loved us.
Now, as grandpas everywhere lay their lives down, know it does not go unnoticed. Little eyes are watching and are picking up that which is being poured out into little souls who are thirsting.
Psalm 102:18 spoke about this and still speaks today. “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.” Amen.
Kathleen Kjolhaug, OblSB
This article was first published in Theology in the Trenches, a column written by oblate Kathleen Kjolhaug. Posted with permission. Read more articles on her blog, Theology in the Trenches.
